#UCLfantasy: Matchday 4 captain contenders
Saturday, November 2, 2019
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UEFA.com looks at the reverse fixtures from last time out to find out who might be worth giving the armband to on Matchday 4.
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The next round of games brings the reverse fixtures from last time out, so player performance last time out is a major factor when looking at the Matchday 4 captaincy options. With double points on offer and two chances to make it count, there are some strong contenders.
TUESDAY 5 NOVEMBER
Lionel Messi (€11.5m) vs Slavia Praha (H)
Messi opened his 2019/20 UEFA Champions League account on Matchday 3's trip to Prague and has since been mesmerising defenders in the Liga with some blistering displays. The Argentinian will be a hugely popular captaincy choice on Tuesday when Slavia visit the Camp Nou, so missing out on him could spell bad news for your overall rank. With Barcelona playing in one of the early kick-offs, sticking the armband on Messi could be the perfect start to your #UCLfantasy matchday.
Mohamed Salah (€11.0m) vs Genk (H)
It was no surprise to see Salah among the points in Liverpool's 1-4 win at Genk on Matchday 3, and that sets the tone for him to be considered as a serious alternative captaincy option to Messi on Tuesday evening. Liverpool have not lost a UEFA Champions League match at Anfield for over five years, so the omens look good for their #UCLfantasy assets, with Salah – who has three goals and an assist to his name in this season's competition already – chief among those.
WEDNESDAY 6 NOVEMBER
Kylian Mbappé (€10.5m) vs Club Brugge (H)
Not many players can fit a hat-trick and an assist into 38 minutes of UEFA Champions League football but that's exactly what Mbappé did on Matchday 3 in Bruges, so no doubt the Belgian outfit will be fearing the worst when they visit Paris on Wednesday. The Frenchman followed that performance up with two goals against Marseille in Ligue 1 action so, if your Tuesday choice doesn't work out, Mbappé is an in-form alternative.
Robert Lewandowski (€10.5m) vs Olympiacos (H)
Lewandowski may have something to say about that, though. The Bayern striker has been in simply sensational form this season and is finding the net with incredible regularity. Historically prolific in the group stage, Lewandowski has duly struck five times in the first three matches in Group B and is just one behind Erling Braut Haaland in the UEFA Champions League scoring charts. For pure consistency, the Polish striker stands out as an extremely reliable captain choice to consider on Wednesday.
